


Good Lord

by Sweetthings



Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV), stepril
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27386695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetthings/pseuds/Sweetthings
Summary: Since they've cancelled the show and we all need to some optimistic Stepril content!April moves through the motions and moral tests that come with falling in love when you're the poster child for Christianity and success While Sterling tries to figure out who she really is.
Relationships: April Stevens/Sterling Wesley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 47





	1. Sweet Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> I have kept some of the original story but have made some changes just to keep it light and airy. We've had enough heartbreak with this show, I don't plan on making that any Harder!

The smell of sweet strawberries and chocolate fudge caressed my senses as she walked past me is one quick sweep. A fleeting moment that seemed to last forever as she left her scent behind her and my heart melted into a puddle in my chest and left my mind deep in an image of tall trees and frozen yoghurt. I’m quickly brought back to myself with the smack of a handbag.

“Lord, Hannah B, can’t you watch where you’re going?” I snap momentarily frustrated that she took me from my daydream.

“Sorry, i-it wasn’t my fault, Jennings bumped into me” She stutters and I feel a little guilty for snapping but not enough to apologise.  
“Why is he such a caveman?” I scold earning a grunt of agreement from Ezequiel.  
“He really should do some work on that hair of his” He adds.  
“I sort of like it,” Hannah B says receiving an eye roll from both Ezequiel and me.  
“Gross, anyway, Do you need something?” I ask looking between my two friends, though I use the term friend loosely.   
The three of us had been inseparable for quite a few years now but I wouldn’t exactly call them friends because when it comes down to it I know they would leave me on my own and if I’m being honest, I would do the same to them. There aren’t many people in this world that I care or trust, Daddy always says that anyone who can compromise your claim to victory is your enemy, no matter how genuine they seem and I was determined to win, although I wasn’t quite sure what the game was I knew I had to be on top, the best at everything and I would be even if it meant being alone for some time. I haven’t met many people who could really threaten me. Most people at this school were just uncouth children that hid behind their parents and biblical texts, unlike myself, who genuinely believed in the scripture, well some of it, though I was aware of how complicated it was and that it was up for interpretation in some parts. Needless to say, the majority of my school peers are animals who read the bible but have the wild fixing of regular public school teenagers.

“Uhm, well it’s lunch, so we were just coming to find you so we could go to eat?” Hannah B says with a slight quiver in her voice.  
“Oh….yeah sure ok let’s go,” I say quickly swinging my bag over my shoulder.  
“Are you ok?” She asks  
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”  
“I don’t know sorry” She drops her eyes to the floor. I turn on my heels and head toward the front door with my ‘friends’ close behind.

I swing the double doors open and my eyes quickly fly to a shimmer of gold across the way. Sitting underneath the sun, cross-legged, with her chin resting on the palm of her hand. I keep my eyes locked on her as the sun catches her shape perfectly. We sit on the grass, across the path and in perfect view of her which I did absolutely on purpose. I watch her with contentment, she seemed both bored and relaxed all at once while she sat with her sister and some of their friends. I never understood how the two could be so close, they did pretty much everything together and that was so strange to me, to put all your faith and love into one person, or anyone at all really, though I’m not stupid, I believe in love and that you can give your heart to someone, but as I’ve said, we need to be realistic. The world isn’t as sweet as the sour candy in my dreams, it can be cruel and mean, but finding the sweet is more difficult than the sour.  
Ezequiel and Hannah B fall into an easy conversation but I can’t seem to find the ability to join them as my eyes are glue to the shimmer of beauty that sits across from me. I know it seems crazy, to be so set in my religion, sure of what the bible says while sitting here mentally drooling over a woman, but I can’t help it, I know what the bible says, I know the pastor and my father wouldn’t agree, not to mention the rest of the community but as far as I am concerned, God made me, why would he mould me as someone that he didn’t agree with? why would he sculpt a person that he saw as a sin? along with the tiny blue poison frogs and narwhals, he has sculpted so many different creatures in this world and most of them are celebrated within the church except this one thing. However, this doesn’t stop me from being honest with myself and accepting the fact that I am gay, if I could change it then maybe I would consider that it wasn’t meant to be, but it’s not a choice and I can’t change it, it’s meant to be and who am I to mess with fate.


	2. Cheetos

I always found that doing my work outdoors was somewhat disruptive. The wind would blow the pages of my notebook and the noise of my peers causing havoc and gossiping was not a sound that allowed for productive thinking. However, it was far too hot to even attempt to do it indoors but noise or no noise, sweat patches and shiny foreheads are beneath me so here I was. Sat at a table by myself trying to study through my free period. I liked spending time to myself most of the time, it was tranquil and peaceful and I sometimes find people far too energy-consuming. It was pretty quiet as it happened today, some people were still in class so it wasn’t proving too difficult for me to concentrate.

“April! quick question, could you give me your Spanish homework? I was playing video games last night and totally forgot to do mine!” Franklin asked abruptly throwing himself down in front of me. It looked as though he had run over here because I could see the droplets of sweat on his forehead and the sound of his heavy breath as he spoke.

“My god, no Franklin, do your own homework” I rolled my eyes and put my head back down.

“Awh c’mon please, I swear I’ll pay you back”

"There is nothing on this planet that  _ you  _ could possibly give me,” I say looking him straight in the eyes. He waited for a moment, his lips pursed together like he was going to keep trying but let go of a breath of defeat.

“Fine, y’know, you probably wouldn’t have to sit alone if you weren’t such a tight ass April” He grunted and left swiftly. 

I guess you could say that what he had said hurt a little, I mean yes I was alone by choice, I found people overbearing but not because I hated them. Admittedly I did hate some, not all, some but I had my reasons for wanting to be alone. Not that Franklin knew what those reasons were of course but I still don’t feel like that gives him the right to comment on how I spend my time. He was right though, in a way, I do push people away but only because I know that they wouldn’t understand me and most of the time I don’t understand them either so it’s easier to be alone than trying to scramble up a friendship that I know would fall apart in the end. 

This community doesn’t accept people like me, some may, but the important ones wouldn’t and not being accepted means losing and in the Stevens house, losing is not an option. Nor is being gay and one leads to the other. I had grown up in a sheltered and reserved home, but I knew who I was and I know now what the consequences are for being that person. Winning is what’s most important and I was not going to be the one that caused my family the shame of losing everything. So I was alone, most of the time because alone was the easy way to do things.

“He’s such a jerk” I hear a faint voice from beside me. 

“Huh?” I say as my attention slowly returns to the present and I can see who the voice belonged to. My breath hitched.

“Franklin, take no notice of him, he’s just a jerk,” She says timidly, her hands curled around the strap of her bag.

“Oh, uh, yeah, it’s whatever, he’s not exactly one to have a judgement on other people,” I say arrogantly.

“Also true,” She says with a smile and rocks on her heels.

“Can I sit?” She asks gesturing to the spot in front of me. 

I’m not sure why but I nodded and my eyes followed as she placed herself directly in front of me. I could feel my heart rate increasing by the minute.

“You don’t want my homework too, do you?” I ask which earns a small laugh.

“No, I did my work last night like a normal person” She smirks and I nod in reply. It’s silent for a moment as I try to figure out a way to calm my pulse while she sits twisting her hands with a sweet smile on her lips. A smile that reminds me of the sun coming up over the mountains.

“Well then, is there something you need Sterling?” I ask eventually.

“No, not really, I just heard what Franklin said to you and you seemed a little upset or in thought or something so I wanted to make sure you were ok,” She says and I detect a touch of nervousness.

“I’m fine,” I say dropping my eyes to my work.

“Are you sure? because you can tell me if you’re not, I know we aren’t really close, or maybe at all I guess b-but you can still tell me, you don’t have to act like you don’t care” She stutters a little and my heart burns in my chest. 

“I said I’m fine, Franklin is an idiot who never does his work and always smells like a bag of Cheetos, there’s nothing he can say to upset me,” I say and I hear how crass it sounds but I can’t help it. For as far back as I can remember, I had been pushing Sterling further and further away. I decided a long time ago that people would drift away from me the bitchier I became and it worked for me, with Sterling I could be quite harsh because I physically couldn’t bear being around her anymore before my feelings came bursting out of my mouth and ruined everything. 

I can see a flash of hurt on her face as I speak and I feel guilty, but it was better for both of us.

“Well, you can still talk to me you know,” She says in almost a whisper. 

The pounding in my chest begins to settle as I looked at her eyes and they take me to a place where the only sound is birds singing and water falling. Her face is the picture of sincerity and honesty, I know she means what she says, I believe her, I never questioned whether or not Sterling was a good person but it still wasn’t worth breaking down everything I had built over the years.

“It’s like you said, we aren’t really that close,” I say, looking anywhere else but at her.

“We used to be?” 

“Used to, past tense, anyway, I gotta go, don’t want to be late for my next class,” I say quickly grabbing my things. I can see she wants to say something but decides against it as I walk away leaving her sitting there with my heart in her hands and my feelings in my throat.


	3. Revenge of the Sith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's just get to know April a little more.

There is was again, that sweet smell of strawberries and chocolate fudge. I knew it all too well, but I wasn’t sure where it was coming from or if it was just embedded into my nose at this point but it was around and it was strong. I continued on searching through the isles nonetheless, all while my subconscious tried to follow the sweet scent to its origin. I found myself in amongst the ice-creams, rummaging through to find the raspberry ripple tub. I wasn’t crazy about it but it was daddy’s favourite and for some reason, it was always entirely impossible to find it. My head was deep in the freezer when I heard a snort from beside me. I pulled my head out scarcely missing the door with my face to see Sterling standing beside me with a face full of amusement. 

“Sterling!” I gasp, slightly taken aback by her presence.

“You uh…you tryna find the abominable snowman or something?” She says with a smirk and I can’t help but let out a laugh.

“No, I...I was trying to find the raspberry ice-cream and usually, it’s stuck in the back” I say quickly fixing myself.

“Raspberry? gross” Sterling feigns disgust.

“Oh I know, it’s not for me, it’s my dad’s favourite so” I shrug.

“Having a party?”

“No uhm..we’re just going to have a movie night so I was just getting some supplies,” I say gesturing to the basket of sweets I had already picked up. She nods in understanding and reaches up to pull a box of cola popsicles out of the freezer.

“Well, I was forced to come and get some of these for Blair because she’s convinced I ate her last one,” She says rolling her eyes, again forcing a laugh from my lips.

“Did you?”

“Well, yes, but don’t tell her that!” She says pointing a finger at me. For a moment I considered how normal the situation felt, it was laced ever so lightly with a sense of discomfort but it was more normal than any conversation we had in the last four years and I wondered if that meant something or if I was reading into it maybe a little too much. Wishful thinking.

“So what movies are planning on watching?” She asks catching my mind mid-thought.

“S-sorry what?” 

“You and your dad, what movies are you going to watch?” She asks again.

“Oh, well we usually watch old movies or Star Wars but I’m not sure which we’re going to do tonight,” I say and begin to walk down to the next aisle, doing nothing in particular but anything to distract the anxiety that was desperate to show up.

“Wow, never pegged for a Star Wars person,” Sterling says, skipping a little to catch up to me. 

I wasn’t sure if it was the sugary smell or the bright coloured dress she had on but something was a little more beautiful than usual. Sterling always looked beautiful she generally made an effort with her outfits, more so than the other girls we knew. It was never sophisticated, more cardigans and flowers sort of, but effort nonetheless and it worked for her. I liked it anyway. I always figure one should dress the way you wish to be perceived. Powerful, confident, organised, but Sterling wasn’t like that, well she didn’t appear to be but she was and even though it was hidden beneath a dorky, clumsy exterior, it still somehow worked so well.

“Yeah, well it’s kind of our thing” I shrug.  
“Your families thing?” She asks and I feel a tightness take over the pit of my stomach.

“No…just my Dad and I” I pause for a minute, losing my train of thought trying to suppress that ache in my stomach.

“Well, I never understood Star Wars, all those weird animal slash human things that have like four arms and fight each other with coloured swords” She giggles nervously. I loved that sound, the sound of her little laugh when she was unsure or nervous, it always reminded me of when we were younger and she was afraid she had said or done something to upset someone, it showed how scared she was to hurt people and solidified the fact that she was a kind and honest person.

“It’s…I like them…anyway, I gotta go before this melts!..uh..bye,” I say quick and I hear her call after me as I walk away but honestly, my palms were starting to sweat and I wasn’t sure how much longer my knees would hold me up so I ran.

I was pretty good at that actually. Running away from her. I had been doing it for almost four years now and it was becoming more and a stronger skill as time passed. It wasn’t easier for my soul if anything it got harder each time I had to do it and for some reason, it was more frequent now than it had ever been. Everywhere I went in the last week or two, she was there, almost like she knew I wanted to see her. See her, not talk to her, but she kept coming over, talking to me, joking, asking me questions. It was bizarre, to say the least, and it was getting harder and harder to push her off and out of my mind in the hours that came afterwards.   
I walked a quick, brisk walk back to my house. It wasn’t too far, well not at the speed I was going and when I finally stepped into my hallway I felt like I could breathe again. I slumped against the door, closed my eyes and took a deep breath in, my heart rate finally reaching a normal pace. An effect Sterling had been having on me for a long time, probably longer than I realised when I really think about it. 

“Are you ok sweetheart?”

“Daddy! Hi! yes, I’m fine” I jump upright in my spot.

“You look a little flushed, are you ok?” He asks gently taking a step towards me.

“I’m fine, I just walked pretty fast, I didn’t want the ice-cream to melt” 

“Well heard it over and I’ll put it in some bowls,” He says brightly and I hand him the bag of treats that I had picked up. I follow him to the kitchen where he grabs two bowls and starts filling them with the contents of the bag.

“Where’s mom?” I ask though I’m sure I already know the answer. 

“She is out with some of her friends from her book club,” He says, eyes down, still shovelling ice-cream into bowls.

“ I’ve never known a book club to meet so often in one week,” I say, ripping open a box of Sour Patch Kids and eating some.

“Well, I guess they had something important going on, you know your Mom, community involvement is so important,” He says with a faint smile.

“More so than family time?” I ask, shoving more sour candy in my mouth.

“Sometimes, but you can still hang out with me can’t you?”

“Absolutely!” I nod.

“I thought you hated those?”

“Huh?” I ask confused and he nods to the box of candy in my hand.  
“Oh! yeah, I do…I guess I picked them up by accident” I answer, my mind running back to when I picked at the shelves absentmindedly while talking to Sterling.

“Hm, well you’ve opened them now! let’s go, I have Revenge of the Sith ready to go!” He says and leads me to the living room.

It infuriated me, that no matter how collected and organised I was day to day, all she had to do was look at me and I was picking up things that I don’t even like and paying for them without realising. It infuriated me more that she didn’t even notice and nor did I until somebody pointed it out to me. I was losing my mind little by little and that was not the head of somebody who was s to become a state senator someday. Though I won’t deny myself the idea of love because that is unrealistic, but it doesn’t take from the fact that I don’t like the feeling of not being in control of my mind at any given time. However, my head was at war with itself because although I disliked it, I did quite like the way my heart beats a little too fast or my body loses it’s perfect posture when she’s around, there’s something exhilarating about the adrenaline that Sterling causes when she flashes her eyes at me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! 
> 
> If you're reading this and you like it please don't be afraid to drop a comment and let me know or share it on social media! 
> 
> Side note: I did eat my way through an entire box of sour patch kids while writing this!


End file.
